In a nation of consumers who like their names on their Cokes and the chance to have a say in the next Lay’s potato chip flavor or create the next Dorito’s commercial, it’s no wonder that eating occasions themselves are now just as customizable—no longer...
Private label growth has slowed from the last several years when consumers flocked to the category due to the recession, according to a report from Packaged Facts. While retailers continue to launch and promote store brand products, a persistently sluggish...
Whole Foods Markets has decided to go big, with a national TV ad campaign that kicked off during a recent World Series game. The message is one of “values,” talking about the natural grocery store chain’s commitment to sustainability and transparency.
Policies aimed at encouraging families and children to eat healthier could be aided by retailers that place healthier food options at the eye level of children, say researchers.
60-second interview, Megan DeStefano, DuPont Nutrition & Health
The percentage of energy derived from snacks in the American diet has increased from 12% in the late 1970s to 24% in 2009/10, according to analysis of National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) data.
From hop-free ales with lavender or elderflowers to ‘advanced Asian’ cuisine, Sterling-Rice Group (SRG) looks at the top 10 culinary trends it predicts will inspire the packaged food and foodservice industry in 2015.
Egg prices have risen steadily in the past three years, and firms touting plant-based proteins as an alternative have attracted a huge amount of media attention. But new data suggests that this has not dampened demand for eggs, with per capita consumption...
US hummus category could break $1bn barrier in a few years
US sales of hummus have almost doubled since 2009 to top $600m, but could easily break through the $1bn mark in the next few years, predicts Eat Well Embrace Life, which is carving out a leading role in the ‘other bean hummus’ category and aims to be...
Consumers – and specific groups of consumers – are changing how, when and where they shop, with the influence of Millenials and Hispanics set to grow over the next decade, says a new report from IRI.
Not so long ago, beans were something you’d more likely find in a dip than a chip. Today, in no small part because of the explosive growth of Beanitos, they are all over the snacks aisle as formulators look to boost fiber and protein, and marketers tap...
A voluntary framework for sustainable cocoa that could help align industry efforts will be introduced by the end of 2016, say those behind the standard.
The US sugar progam is frustrating, over-protectionist and counterproductive to business, says the president and CEO of the American Bakers Association (ABA).
Despite any progress that might have been made in the health of offerings in US food retail outlets, the food displayed in the checkout queue is as unhealthy as ever, according to a report by the Center for Science in the Public Interest. The quick availability...
Consumers want to see what you are putting into the product as well as what isn’t in there
With revenues going from zero to “north of $20m” in three years, the growth of Way Better Snacks has been nothing short of meteoric. But while great branding, its focus on ‘sprouted’ seeds and the CPG experience of its founder & CEO Jim Breen have...
Japanese ice cream manufacturers are a "couple of years ahead" of their counterparts in Europe and North America in terms of innovation, says market research firm Mintel.
Farming infrastructure in the wheat sector is critically important for bakers but there are a number issues threatening it, says the president and CEO of the American Bakers Association.
The Global Organization for EPA and DHA Omega-3s’ campaign to promote positive messages about omega-3s has finally launched, but more funds needs to be raised to allow a national roll-out, said GOED’s Adam Ismail.
The average convenience-store shopper spends just three minutes in the store, says Wells Fargo in a new report arguing that there are big growth opportunities for brands that can offer more products designed for immediate consumption, and better meet...
If you’ve got enough money - and clout - it’s not hard to make a big splash with a new product launch in year one. The real test comes in years two, three and four. And PepsiCo is proving that its innovations are still delivering after the initial hype...
Zenith International includes cocktail flavors and cognitive enhancement within a list of 13 top trends it says have driven innovation in energy drinks on the basis of post-2012 product launches.
The use of natural sweeteners is growing rapidly – they were used in one in five new non-caloric drinks launched last year – but it is still dwarfed by other sweeteners, according to a new report from Canadean.
It’s well-known that many CPG firms feel that they are not getting enough bang for their trade spending bucks. But a recent analysis by Nielsen reveals that most of them are not getting any bang for these bucks, with almost three quarters of promotions...
Social media can be a powerful tool to identify trends as well as communicate with different customer segments. But it can also be used to identify threats, says market research firm Brandwatch.
The IFT's FutureFood 2050 initiative has started a fascinating conversation about what we might be eating in the future. But what will food shopping be like? Will supermarkets as we know them today still exist or will we get all of our groceries...
Small and inexpensive changes to the content of supermarket circulars have ‘great potential’ to boost healthy eating and get consumers closer to dietary guidelines, but only if the retailers are on-board, says a new analysis.
Bakers cannot sit back and be bombarded by negative messaging around bread anymore because there’s actually a huge consumer group who wants it, says the VP of Panera Bread bakery development.
The marketplace for consumer goods has fundamentally changed, and CPG companies looking for stable long term growth need to be able to solve this “frustrating puzzle,” according to a new report from market research firm Strategy&.
Chobani is working with Green America (formerly Co-op America) to “discuss realistic and viable” ways to secure more milk from cows fed non-GMO animal feed.
'The feedback we received appears to be merely satisfactory or mixed'
Initial feedback suggests the US debut of Coca-Cola Life has been “lackluster”, with staff in some of the first stores to feature the product reporting “satisfactory” sales, but nothing to set the world on fire, says Ali Dibadj, senior analyst at Sanford...
The cost to consumers of requiring labeling of genetically modified food is $2.30 per person annually, or less than a penny a day, says new analysis commissioned by Consumers Union, the policy arm of Consumer Reports.
Until relatively recently, probiotics - gut-friendly live bacteria - were largely limited to the supplement aisle or the dairy case. Today, thanks to the development of more resilient strains, they are creeping into every category in the store. But we’re...
New crowd funding platforms will transform the food industry, said an executive of a Canadian company set to go that route to raise additional capital.
Just weeks after the US launch of Coca-Cola Life, PepsiCo has unveiled plans to launch its own mid-calorie soda sweetened with a combination of sugar and stevia under the Pepsi True brand.
The "traditionally domestic focused" dairy industry must adopt a "world view" to ensure increasing global consumer demand does not outstrip milk supply, says Tetra Pak.
The notion that defining ‘natural’ is just too hard - either for the FDA or for the food industry - and that we therefore shouldn’t even bother to attempt it, is defeatist and “disingenuous”, says the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI).
In part one of our coverage of FoodNavigator-USA’s natural & clean label panel debate we looked at whether the FDA - or industry stakeholders - should define ‘natural’. In part two, we look at all-natural lawsuits, and whether consumers understand...
The US market for market for refrigerated meats and meals is predicted to hit a mouth-watering $31 billion in 2018, up from today’s $25 billion, says a new report from Packaged Facts.
Six months after resolving an IP fight with a competitor turned collaborator, KonaRed Corporation has made rapid progress in moving its coffee fruit beverage into nationwide distribution.
The growth of naturally healthy ready-to-drink (RTD) teas is predicted to be even stronger than that of energy drinks, according to figures released by Euromonitor this week.
Buoyed by the surging popularity of hummus in the US, Sabra Dipping Co has unveiled plans to expand its hummus manufacturing facility in Chesterfield County, Virginia, doubling its production capacity and creating 70 new jobs.
Certified Sustainable Palm Oil could remain a niche product unless it gains importance in India and China, according to former RSPO director Jan Kees Vis.
After a years long pilot process, the new label Food Justice Certified is ready for market. The new designation aims to do what the USDA Organic Certification does not, and that is to verify that in every link of the food chain there is fair treatment...
Diamond Foods is "competing with products addressing the trends in convenient protein, natural, organic, gluten-free, and non-GMO", CEO Brian Driscoll told analysts Thursday. And while its nuts and chips tap into some of these trends, he said,...
Sales of packaged bakery products have been sluggish for years as shoppers have shifted their focus from the center of the store to the perimeter, but there are pockets of opportunity in industrially-produced 'artisanal' goods; ancient grains;...
90 scientists have written to President Obama urging him to press the FDA into making a decision, one way or another, on whether AquaBounty Technologies should be allowed to introduce the first genetically engineered (GE) animal to the human food supply.
2014 SPECIAL EDITION: HEALTHY AND FUNCTIONAL DAIRY
